Another View: Turn around, Scott Brown; Sen. Shaheen has us covered

December 29. 2013 8:24PMThe people of New Hampshire are known as independently minded voters. We don't like it when others try to tell us what to think, and we certainly do not take kindly to outsiders who waltz into our state with the belief that they are better suited to represent us than we are to represent ourselves.

With the news that Scott Brown has moved to New Hampshire with an eye toward challenging Jeanne Shaheen for her seat in the U.S. Senate, I am struck by the fact that he cannot effectively represent us because he is not one of us.

Don't let the fact that he owns a vacation home in Rye fool you; Scott Brown is not one of us. He thinks that because the people of Massachusetts gave him his walking papers, his next best shot at resurrecting his political career is to cross into our state and occupy one of our seats in the U.S. Senate. I urge you to stand with me and tell Scott Brown that those seats are reserved for the talented people of New Hampshire; those who live and breathe the Granite State and have an intimate knowledge of the wants and needs of its people.

Aside from the fact that Scott Brown is ill equipped to represent the people of New Hampshire, I firmly believe that we already have the right person serving us in Washington. Jeanne Shaheen has lived in New Hampshire for 40 years, is a former educator and small-business owner, and raised her children in the Granite State. She knows what our needs are because she is one of us. She served in our state Legislature and was our governor during some of the most prosperous times our state has seen in recent years.

She has a strong record on education, which is one of the most important and essential roles that government plays in aiding its citizens. Further, she is well respected by her colleagues in the Senate, serves on the incredibly influential Appropriations Committee, and is in a position to get things accomplished in Washington, D.C. She also serves on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and she has pushed legislation aimed to help small businesses grow, prosper and fuel our economy.

Even if you don't agree with me about the bona fides of Sen. Shaheen, I expect that the vast majority of you will agree that New Hampshire deserves, and needs, to be represented by our own people — people who have lived in our community, people who understand our struggles and concerns because they share them. What New Hampshire does not need is a failed Massachusetts politician who crosses over the border in hope that he can use us to resurrect his political career.

Mr. Brown, New Hampshire is not here to boost your personal aspirations, and we are more than capable of representing ourselves. I suggest that you hop back into that famous truck of yours and take the nearest route back to I-95 South. Feel free to do some tax-free shopping on your way out of town.